PowerUP, a gas engine parts and service provider operating in more than 40 countries, runs a condition-based maintenance program built on the ZEISS T-SCAN hawk 2 handheld 3D scanner and ZEISS INSPECT software, according to a HandsOnMetrology write-up. The company's stated goal is longer service life for engines and components, with parts reused whenever inspection data supports it.
The program combines scan data with statistical analysis to follow wear trends across the lifecycle of engines and components. PowerUP uses the results to define replacement intervals and refine tolerance limits. Scanning focuses on connecting rods, cylinder heads, pistons, turbocharger shafts including turbines and compressors, crankshafts, and engine blocks. Those parts vary widely in size, complexity, and maintenance needs.
Handheld optical scanning is non-contact and works in situ, so components can be measured without being pulled from service. HandsOnMetrology says it also supports surface comparisons and digital assembly analysis, which go beyond what tactile measurement offers. The same scanner handles serial quality inspections, reverse engineering, and engineering validation.
For quality engineers, the useful detail is what happens to the data afterward. The article says a 3D scan captures significantly more data than a given analysis requires. In other words, a scan taken today for one wear question can be mined later for another, and larger historical datasets can be used to validate new maintenance approaches.
ZEISS INSPECT handles the analysis side. Scans are aligned and cleaned, measured features are compared against CAD references, metrics are extracted, and trend datasets are built from the results. Predefined inspection plans speed up decisions and reporting. PowerUP describes the combined workflow as "simple, efficient, and state-of-the-art," and the measurement process as "highly repeatable."
PowerUP says a deeper understanding of wear patterns across its engine fleet feeds back into maintenance, overhaul processes, and component optimization, with the aim of preventing unplanned downtime. The company points to regions with unstable power grids as where gas engines matter most for a dependable energy supply.
